Saving a marriage can be hard – it takes patience, effort, communication and luck. Fortunately, there are groups on hand to help you, who have nothing but your best interests at heart… groups like Family Law firm Irwin Mitchell Solicitors:

Martin Loxley, National Head of Family Law at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, said: ‘Most relationships will go through a rocky period at some stage, and it seems the way you deal with things during that time can be the difference between patching things up or splitting permanently.

‘The secret seems to be spending more time together rather than separating your lives even further than they already are.

You might think it oddly altruistic of a law firm to offer advice on how best to stay happily married… and you’d be right, because Loxley also has a few things to say about where to turn if your marriage doesn’t work out:

He added: ‘Couples should think long and hard before giving up on a marriage. It can have long term financial and emotional consequences for both themselves and any children involved.

‘There are organisations which can assist couples in saving a relationship but if it has irretrievably broken down, communication is still key to ensuring that the divorce or separation is as smooth as possible.

‘Relationship breakdowns don’t have to be acrimonious but if they are, it’s likely the couple will face a costly legal battle.

So, if you’re looking to avoid an acrimonious and costly divorce, perhaps you’ll know who to get in touch with when the time comes.